On Apr. 13, 2016, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy was created with a $250 million grant from the Parker Foundation, focused on accelerating progress in the breakthrough field that helps the immune system attack cancers.

PICI’s network includes hundreds of cancer researchers and seven leading cancer institutions across the country, all focused on developing breakthrough immunotherapies.

The network is based on an innovative intellectual property model that makes it easier for scientists to share data and quickly move new discoveries into clinical trials. For example, PICI researchers from Penn and Stanford collaborated on the first clinical trial in the United States to test CRISPR-edited immune cells, which found that the genetically edited cells can persist, thrive, and function months after a cancer patient receives them.